Psych Your Mind: Power tripping people a treat to deal with

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My whole life I've been told, upon first
impression, I'm rather intimidating. My
whole life, I've found this phenomenon
rather curious. No, I'm not looking for an
ego-stroking here. Rather, I guess you could
say I just find it difficult to come to grips
with the notion of being intimidated by
another person, in general. We all are, after
all, "the same underneath our skin."

Given this view, I'm sure you can appreciate
I've found myself in conflict with
authority figures on many occasions. But,
again, don't get me wrong, my feelings do
not derive even slightly from a lack of
respect toward others. Call me crazy, but I
simply feel everyone, irrespective of their
station in life, should be treated as you
would want to be treated. It is my opinion
that a person's character is not defined simply
by the work they do or the position(s)
they hold, but instead the kind of life they
choose to lead.

This preface brings me to today's topic at
hand: that of power, its uses and abuses and
the psychology behind it. But first I'd like to
share yet another wonderful anecdote of this
melodrama I call my life:

A few months ago, I was doing some subcontracted
work for a web/graphic design
firm. Despite being computer savvy and having
a strong background in both domains, I
was relegated to solely handling their administrative
paperwork and minor site updates,
such as blog writing. I didn't complain and I
was relatively happy within the work environment
and appreciated the supplementary
income.

Right from the get-go though, my boss,
who was considerably less qualified/educated
than me, younger than me and quite evidently
the coddled child of a well-off family,
took every opportunity to attempt to shoot
me down. Initially, I wasn't sure if he was
just kidding around, but I guess you could
say I got my answer when I was relieved of
my position for merely sticking up for
myself.

In front of my fellow coworkers, my boss
exclaimed outright that if I were to design a
particular item, "No offense, but it would
look like shit." When I corrected him by stating,
"Actually, I'm trained in that software
and regularly use it for other clients," I was
immediately pulled out into the hallway and
told that this was my "final warning" for
"having an arrogant attitude."

I pointed out that I had not been given any
prior warnings so I found his statement
rather confusing. Secondly, I made it clear I
didn't feel defending myself when I've been
called out and embarrassed in front of the
rest of the staff constituted an "attitude problem."
His response, and I quote, was, "I said,
'no offense.'"

Now, in this particular instance, it's difficult
to conclude whether my boss had it in
for me because a) he was sexist b) he was a
spoiled brat who believed the world should
revolve around him c) he felt threatened by
me or d) perhaps a combination of all of the
above.

Irrespective of this, one thing is for certain:
his conduct toward me was motivated
by feelings of insecurity, inferiority and
threat; something that is evident by the fact I
was fired for failing to "buy into"/challenging
his conception of himself as an authority/
powerful figure.

In his defence, however, perhaps his persuasion
of what constitutes appropriate leadership
was/is derived from modern society's
countless examples of corporate and political
leaders who rely heavily on intimidation
tactics/fear/bullying to win support from the
general population and who constantly abuse
their power yet seem to face little to no consequences.
Ironically, many studies on the
subject have noted that "relatability" and
"likeability" are key factors to gaining the
initial support required to rise to power.
Once that power is obtained, however, as
noted by The Economist, "corruption, a hypocritical
tendency to hold others to higher
standards of conduct than oneself and a
sense of entitlement to abuse the systems in
which one lives or works," tends to reign
supreme.

So why then do so many of us lust after it?

Evolutionary psychology would suggest
that our desire for power stems from our natural
instinct to protect and prolong our own
kin. By seeking out and maintaining positions
of power, we are in a better position to
provide for our loved ones and therefore
continue the "survival" of our "species." As
German philosopher Nietzsche explained,
all life forms are constantly in battle to
inflict their wills upon others, as doing so
allows for growth, self-preservation, domination
and upward mobility.

Power, in psychological terms, is defined
as "the ability to enact your will or influence
onto others." According to Dr. Christopher
Heffner, there are five types of power one
can possess:

1. Coercive: the power to punish

2. Reward: the power to acknowledge/
recompense

3. Legitimate: power granted by some
external authority

4. Expert: power that results from experience
or education

5. Referent: power derived from respect
or admiration; power attributed through
idolization

While power was assigned to our primitive
ancestors based on tangible attributes
that would clearly benefit the group against
external threats (i.e. physical strength, size,
speed, agility and aggression), in today's
world, power is oftentimes acquired through
much more superficial demonstrations of
charisma or attractiveness. For example, the
U.S.'s current President has proven that
being a "good talker" can go a long way…
which brings me to my next and final point:
the power in words.

French social theorist Foucault alleged
that power in society originates through discourse
(i.e. the discussion of knowledge) as
words allow us to conceptualize ideas, which
then become beliefs, and in turn lead to
actions based on those beliefs. Therefore,
power resides with those who ultimately
control the public discourse (e.g. the media,
the educational system, politicians, stakeholders
etc.).

The debate about power – who has it, who
should have it, what it constitutes and more
– could go on indefinitely. I'd like to leave it
for today with two final comments:

1. Psychological maturity is knowing
when to pick your battles and setting standards
in terms of what you will and will not
tolerate from others. Yes, I could've kept my
mouth shut when my boss made that final
dig at me, but is my integrity worth sacrificing
for an hourly wage? I think not.

2. On the other side of the equation, psychological
maturity is also acknowledging
that ALL people (and ALL living things for
that matter) deserve to be treated respectfully.
Believing you're superior to others
because you happen to be from a certain tax
bracket or because you possess certain traits
is extremely egocentric. Psychologically
mature individuals recognize that each and
every one of us has something unique to
offer this world. Difference should never
been defined in oppositional terms.

Interrobang

The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd in London, Ontario and distributed throughout the Fanshawe College community.